NCAADivisionIIIMenandWomenTennisChampionships

Back in Full Swing

NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships

University of the South and the Chattanooga Sports Committee (CSC) are proud to host the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships. The event will take place May 22-27 at the Champions Club. The tournament will bring an estimated impact of approximately $308,000.

This event was one of seven that the NCAA relocated from North Carolina last September in response to the state’s position on the HB2 law.

“When the opportunity presented itself because of the decision the NCAA made, we saw it as us getting back into the NCAA championships world, because that’s the ultimate,” said Bob Doak, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau.

NCAA tournaments require a host school, so when going through the bidding process CSC reached out to Sewanee. The two groups worked tirelessly over the ensuing 7-8 months to come up with a game plan. This is Sewanee’s first time hosting a NCAA championship.

“The City of Chattanooga along with The University of the South are thrilled to welcome colleges and universities from across the country, along with hundreds of the nation's finest student-athletes and their families to compete for national championships in both men's and women's team and individual competition,” said John Shackelford, Men’s Tennis Head Coach at Sewanee and Tournament Director. “The six-day event showcases college students from some of this country's finest schools in what is always an exciting and competitive tournament. We welcome the opportunity to provide all of the participants a dose of warm southern hospitality."

The tournament will feature 8 men’s and 8 women’s teams and will bring over 300 participants to the Scenic City. Monday through Wednesday, May 22-24, the event kicks off with team competitions. Thursday through Saturday, May 25-27, will showcase the singles and doubles portion of the championships.

Given the scale of this event and its economic impact on the city, CSC is hopeful that this is the first of many NCAA events to be hosted in the Scenic City.

“People pay attention to everything you host,” said Tim Morgan, president of the Chattanooga Sports Committee. “Whether it’s a track and field championship or a youth soccer tournament, national governing bodies pay attention to who is hosting it and how they’re hosting it. Once we do it right and when we are successful, other opportunities will present themselves down the road.”